The present invention relates to refrigeration apparatus which employs a working fluid comprising magnetic dipoles in suspension.
Conventional refrigeration apparatus employ working fluids which change states between vapor and liquid. Such apparatus employ compressors to compress the fluid. The fluid typically is a chlorinated fluorocarbon ("CFC") such as freon. Recent environmental concerns have led industry to search for alternatives to CFC-based apparatus.
A conventional compression refrigerator/air conditioning apparatus 10 is depicted in FIG. 1. The apparatus 10 comprises a heat exchanger 15 which exchanges heat with the region to be cooled, a compressor 16, a radiator for exchanging heat with the ambient, and an expansion valve 18. These elements are connected by fluid conduits creating a closed loop.
The conventional apparatus 10 operates in the following manner. In region 11, a cool vapor approaches the region to be cooled. In region 12, the vapor is warm because it has absorbed heat from the region to be cooled. In region 13, the vapor/liquid is hot because it has been compressed by compressor 16, and the heat of condensation has gone into heat. In region 14, the liquid is somewhat cooler because it has given up its heat to the ambient via the radiator or heat exchanger 17. This cooler liquid then passes through the expansion valve 18 and becomes much cooler because the heat of vaporization extracts energy from the fluid. The process is then repeated.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a refrigeration apparatus which does not require the use of CFC working fluids.
Another object of the invention is to provide a refrigeration apparatus which does not require a compressor.